Birthday Surprises
by jennyelf
Summary: When a natural disaster hits affecting someone that the Bob-Whites know, what idea to help will Honey concoct? How will Trixie's 18th birthday be involved? What surprises await the birthday girl?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, I know most of those who have me on author alert are like Who is Trixie Belden? Why is jennyelf writing about her? Trixie Belden is a series that I grew up reading and fell in love with while in middle school. Trixie and Jim are Mena's adoptive parents in my Harry Potter story Children of Prophecies. I'm just using the characters the way they were meant to be in this one. This plot bunny came into my head and absolutely refused to leave. I totally blame Mylee for that since I'm totally hooked on her Trixie fanfics. I'm still working on CoP, so don't despair, but I had to write this short story. There should only be one more chapter after this one. However, this story will be the prequel to a Trixie mystery that I have percolating in my head. Thanks for reading. Oh, and this is set present day, instead of when Trixie was originally written.

Disclaimer: I own copies of books 1 through 15 of Trixie, but alas, I do not own the characters.

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January 12, 2010- Crabapple Farm

Seventeen year old Trixie Belden let out a stifled groan before resting her forehead on the open book in front of her. She shook her head and steeled herself to try to figure it out once more.

The slam of the screen door alerted her that she was no longer alone in the house. Aware that her mother had left earlier to go grocery shopping before picking her younger brother up from basketball practice, she wondered if her mother needed help unloading the car.

"Moms? Bobby?" she called.

"Trixie! Trixie!"

"Honey?" she yelled back, wondering what could have brought her friend over from the Manor House.

Trixie poked her head out of her room to see her best friend climbing the stairs. Trixie marveled over how much her friend had changed from the girl that she had met almost five years ago. That girl would never have walked into someone else's house without ringing the doorbell first.

Honey skidded to a stop in front of Trixie's doorway. "Have you heard the news?"

"Honey, you know I have to finish my homework before I can do anything else once I get home," she answered. She heaved a huge sigh. "I've managed to finish everything else, but I'm struggling with my Calculus homework at the moment. Why, oh why did I ever think that I could pass Calculus without my resident math tutors here?" Trixie rapped her head against the door jamb.

Honey smirked. "I think you just wanted to give _Jim_ another reason to come home and see you more often."

"Hmph," Trixie responded, crossing to her bed and flopping down on it. "If that's the case, I definitely crashed and burned on that one. And what do you mean, another reason? He doesn't have a reason to come home and see me as it is. You know that. I know I get daily emails, 'fond glances' and the occasional escort, but he was hardly around at all the past few months."

Honey sat down beside her best friend and wrapped her arm around Trixie's shoulders. "Besides the fact that Jim was super busy with college last semester, you still have managed to pull out a C so far in Calculus. That's much better than I would do. I know my own limitations when it comes to math."

Trixie sensed the change of subject more than she heard it as her head was still consumed by thoughts of Honey's redheaded brother. "Well, I just want one person to explain to me when I'll ever use integrals in my life, other than in Calculus class."

"Don't look at me for that answer." Both girls just burst into laughter and lay back on the bed.

Once Trixie had composed herself, she tilted her head at the girl reclining beside her.

"So what brought you all the way over here? Not that I mind you coming at all, but why didn't you just call?"

Honey sat up quickly. "Oh, oh, oh! So you haven't heard any news?" the older girl queried.

Trixie gestured towards her closed laptop on her desk. "None. I haven't even checked my email yet today."

"Trixie," Honey started, wringing her hands. "There was an earthquake in Haiti today. A bad one, which has lots of people missing or dead."

"Okay," Trixie answered uncertainly, unsure of exactly why Honey had deemed this information so vital and dire. Something tickled at the edge of her memory. "But why is…" Her brain and memory had finally caught up. "Wait, isn't that where…" she trailed off at the sight of Honey nodding. "Your dad, Jim, have you heard from either of them yet? Have they heard from Mr. Rainsford yet? Any news?" Trixie climbed off her bed to pace around her room, randomly picking things up, while thoughts ran through her head.

Ever since she and Honey had found Jim up near Autoville, Mr. Rainsford, the executor of Jim's uncle's will, had been a presence in both Jim and Mr. Wheeler's life. Whenever the lawyer was in country, the three of them would do something together. Trixie had thought at first that he just wanted to make sure that he had made the right decision in allowing Jim to be adopted by the Wheelers, but that thought had changed over the course of the past five years. The two men enjoyed camping, hunting and other activities with Jim. Jim had told Trixie that during their outings, it made him feel in a small way that his dad was back with him.

The last excursion the three of them had taken was just after Christmas the past year. Jim had been home on Christmas break from college and they'd ventured up to Vermont for some skiing. Trixie had tried hard not to be jealous of the time that the college student spent with the two men, but it was hard as she wanted nothing more than to spend all of her spare time with Jim. She still hadn't gotten over the notion that Jim was 'the most wonderful boy in the whole world'. She doubted she ever would.

Bringing her thoughts back to the attorney, she knew that shortly after their trip, he had plans to fly to Haiti on a business trip. Jim had mentioned something about the fact that Mr. Rainsford was combining business with personal reasons on this trip. Apparently he wanted to work on the amount of poverty he had seen in the country, especially in regards to the construction, or lack thereof, of homes. She didn't know if the older gentleman was still down there, but she was sure that there had to be a reason that Honey had come.

"I haven't heard from Jim today, which isn't surprising, considering that he, with the rest of the male Bob-Whites, just left to return to college this morning. I doubt that they've heard yet unless one of them was checking the Internet for something, like an email from a certain blonde," Honey said teasingly. She quickly sobered when she thought about what she did know.

"Miss Trask has already heard from Daddy, though. Mr. Rainsford is still down there, but at the moment, Dad hasn't been able to contact him. The authorities are saying that it might take days to find out anything. Daddy wanted to hop a helicopter and head down there right away, especially since he knows that it's going to take a lot of rebuilding based on the photos that are being shown already. Luckily, Mother convinced him that it might be best to hold off on that for a few days. But he's sending some of his workers down there to help with the clean-up. He and Mother are going to stay in the city instead of returning home, like they had originally planned."

Trixie stopped pacing to look at her best friend. "So what can we do? I mean, we're all the way in New York. I highly doubt that our parents would let us leave school to go to Haiti to volunteer during our senior year."

"But they would let us put together a fundraiser to help. Why can't the Bob-Whites plan an event for this like we did with the antique show or the winter carnival?" Honey said excitedly.

"This is why you came down here, isn't it? You wanted to get at least one co-president on your side right away. Although I doubt you'll have to do much to convince your brother to sponsor this one, especially since Mr. Rainsford is down there. But what could we do as a fundraiser? We don't want to repeat our ideas. A bake sale?"

"Trixie, a bake sale wouldn't garner much money. We need to do something that will raise a serious amount," Honey responded, tapping her finger against her cheek, thinking.

"What about one of those jail-a-thon things? You know where someone pays to have someone arrested and then the person arrested has to post bail or something like that," Trixie suggested.

Honey laughed before saying, "I think we might have too many people want to put you in the jail for all sorts of reasons. The number one culprit would be Mart if I'm not mistaken." She laughed again.

Trixie wrinkled her nose in thought, silently agreeing with her friend. "Well, then, what can we do? I'm out of ideas." She sat in the chair at her desk, exasperated with the lack of brain power she was displaying.

Honey bit her bottom lip for a moment before offering, "What about a Vegas night?"

Trixie scoffed. "In Sleepyside? It would never fly."

"Who says it has to be in Sleepyside? All the male Bob-Whites are in New York City, so why can't we have it there?" Honey said, sweeping her long hair over her shoulder.

"And just where would we have it? What exactly would be involved with a 'Vegas night' anyway?" Trixie asked, knowing her friend would have the answers. With her best friend bouncing up and down on Trixie's bed, Honey's excitement was too great for her not to have already contemplated a variety of scenarios for this fundraiser.

"Well, what if we rented a ballroom in one of the hotels? We could have a catered dinner followed by dancing and gaming. We could hire an entertainment group to provide the gaming tables and a DJ for dancing," Honey gushed. Her face was overtaken by a huge smile that was almost blinding in its brilliance.

"One slight problem with that, Miss Wheeler. You have to be eighteen to do any sort of gambling." Trixie pointed to herself. "Only seventeen. Plus, how would we raise money if people are winning it?"

"Ah, but we could have the fundraiser on your birthday. It's a Saturday this year and you could always ask for people to give to the charity rather than giving you gifts for your birthday." Honey paused to see what sort of reception she would get to that comment, only to be surprised that her friend was just looking thoughtful. She continued, "As for how we raise the money, well, people would know going in that all winnings goes to the charity. They'll just get bragging rights if they do well at the tables."

"Hmmm…" The more Trixie thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She knew it would take more planning than they had done in the past, but the Bob-Whites could handle it. They had come a long way since they were young teenagers planning philanthropy projects. "I like it. Shall I call a Bob-White meeting? We can schedule one for this Saturday. All of us will just have to conference over IM. I'm sure we can do that. You don't have any plans for this weekend with Brian, do you?"

"No, he's planning on staying in his apartment this weekend since he was just home. I imagine we would talk over IM on our own at some point since we normally do, but I'm sure we can squeeze in this meeting. I just hope that the boys will be able to help us plan this one since it will be held in their backyard. Well, I guess I should let you get back to your math work. I'll never understand why you wanted to take that course."

"It's all about making sure that I'm accepted to St. Joseph's. This class will look better on my transcript. Not all of us have our parents' money as a cushion, you know," Trixie teased her friend. Honey just shrugged at her, letting the comment slide since she knew that Trixie didn't mean anything by it.

"Trixie! Trix-ie!" her younger brother's voice echoed through the house no long after a car door slammed. "Moms needs your help unloading the groceries." His voice got closer and closer until he was standing outside her door.

"And why can't you help her, Bobby?" Trixie demanded with both hands on her hips.

"I will once I put my bags down," he replied. "Hi, Honey! I didn't realize you were here." With that, he ambled on down the hallway to his room.

"Manners, Moms and Dad tried to teach him some, but it never seems to stick," Trixie said to her friend.

"Trix, it's okay. I've known Bobby for a while. I'll let you go help your mom. Meeting this weekend, right? I'll contact Brian, Di and Dan. You just tell Mart and Jim," Honey said as the two girls made their way down the stairs.

"That's fine," Trixie said, with her mind clearly on other things.

"Bye. See you tomorrow morning." Trixie waved goodbye to her friend before helping her mom unload the groceries from the car.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: After much strife with my stupid computer (I had to make edits to this three times as for some strange reason, hitting save didn't actually save the changes I had made), here's the next chapter. This hasn't been beta-ed yet, so bear with me if there are any grammar and spelling errors. Oh, and yes, there will be another chapter obviously. A certain Mr. Frayne positively demanded his say in the storyline. Enjoy! Thanks for the reviews!

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March 27, 2010

A vision of soft blond curls framing a face punctuated by bright clear blue eyes floated above the words in his textbook. Jim Frayne let out a low groan, knowing that his concentration was shot. He closed his book with a snap before throwing it onto his bed. His head dropped into his hands and he leaned his elbows on his knees. More and more over the course of the past year, visions of Trixie crept into his mind and normally at the most inopportune times. It was now almost expected that every test he took or paper he wrote would be interrupted at some point with thoughts of the girl who had captured his heart so thoroughly when he was fifteen years old. He figured that the recurrences were mainly due to the facts that he had spent so little time at home this school year and that his self-imposed deadline of her eighteenth birthday was fast approaching.

Right before he had left for college three years ago, he had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't put Trixie through the hassles of a long-distance relationship, especially one where one half of the couple was in college while the other was in high school. He had watched several of his friends at Sleepyside High deal with the complexities of that kind of relationship and they never seemed to work out, which was something that he was unwilling to allow in his own life. One or the other of his friends had always seemed to end up jealous about something. Jim was very self-aware enough to know that he would get jealous of any time that Trixie spent with other guys while he was in the city at college. He liked to believe that she would feel similarly, based on her reactions to Dot while they were in Iowa all those years ago. Still, he had granted himself a reprieve in that if he found out that she would be attending college close to where he was, he would do everything in his power to claim the beautiful blonde for his own, starting on her eighteenth birthday. After all, he had a little over a week left of school after her birthday before he came home for the summer.

As a result of not telling Trixie exactly how he felt about her, he buried those feelings deep and turned his thoughts toward his schoolwork while at college. He had taken as many courses as he could in an effort to not think about the girl who had entranced him from the age of fifteen. Yet, he had never been happier about his dedication until after he found out that Trixie was applying to St. Joseph's. Due to his efforts, he would be able to take lighter course loads his senior year, which would hopefully allow him to spend time with one Beatrix Belden in ways that he had been unable to theretofore.

When he had discovered last fall that the female Bob-Whites had all applied to attend the same college that all the male Bob-Whites were already attending, he had been overjoyed. The very idea of being able to see his special girl every day like he had back when he was in high school sent him on a high that had lasted days. Brian and Mart both had wondered what exactly had gotten into him. Jim couldn't help but let out a chuckle at how quickly the two of them had tried to solve the ambiguity of his euphoria, reminding him so much of the enthusiasm Trixie displayed over a mystery.

Separately, the two brothers had interrogated him. Brian's questions had led down the possible path of Jim using narcotics to aid him in his schoolwork. Jim vehemently disabused Brian of that notion. He still couldn't believe that his best friend would ever think that he would do anything like that. Mart's line of questioning centered around the possibility of a girl haunting his thoughts, but he never quite made the connection that the girl on Jim's mind was none other than Mart's 'almost twin'. Jim did his best at evading the eloquent Bob-White's questions as much as possible as he didn't want to outright lie to Mart, but he also didn't want anything Mart might misinterpret making its way back to Trixie. Both encounters had taught him that even though the brothers had experience with mysteries thanks to Trixie, they still couldn't quite decipher one like their sister.

A chime from his open laptop drew him out of his musings. He turned to find a new email from Honey. Wondering what his sister wanted now, he opened the email to read.

_Jim,_

_I'm not exactly certain why you insisted on staying in the city for your spring break, even though it worked out well for the Bob-Whites. It's almost as if you don't have time for us anymore or is it that you're avoiding a certain female that lives here? Anyway, never mind. I'm just writing you this reminder that you simply must go visit the two locations that Trixie, Di and I are considering for the Vegas Night fundraiser today. We're counting on you to give us a good description of the two places so that we can make a decision. As soon as you get to the first one, you MUST CALL ME! I mean it, Jim Frayne. If you don't call, you'll be in some serious trouble, which I know you don't want, since my boyfriend does have keys to your apartment. So remember to CALL ME!_

_Honey_

Jim knew his sister would follow through with her threat. Honey had changed a lot since he had met her. No longer was she a timid, shy girl. Now she acted much like Trixie did with her brothers with teasing and even some pranks up her sleeve. Trixie of course had been the biggest influence on her, but Brian had been a close second.

A twinge of regret about his decision regarding Trixie flushed through him when he considered Brian and Honey's relationship. The two of them had gotten together last summer and had managed to make the long-distance work for them. They chatted every day, whether by cell phone or computer. The couple had just found a way to make it work, which in turn made Jim think about trying with Trixie. But by the time he had realized exactly how well Brian and Honey were working out, it was simply too close to his deadline for him to make changes.

Thinking of his deadline and the fact that it fell on the day of the Vegas Night fundraiser made him realize that while the girls were planning out the fundraiser, he had plans to make of his own. He already had ideas for quite a few things that he wanted to do with Trixie on her birthday. The redhead hoped that he could keep her from sniffing out his plans, giving him yet another reason to avoid her. If he had his way, Trixie was in for a whole lot of surprises for her eighteenth birthday.

It was with this in mind that he set about making preparations to visit the locales the girls had given him. He wanted to be sure to be on the lookout for places and things that would help him achieve his goal of making Trixie his. Whistling, he grabbed a light jacket and headed out toward Central Park.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I don't understand how exactly this happens and why it is that I can't write a one or two-shot to save my life. There will be another chapter. The Bob-Whites just demanded to have their celebration first. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

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April 30, 2010

Trixie threw her bookbag over her left shoulder before reaching down to pull the strap of her carryon bag over her other. Adjusting the bag in front of her, she stood to depart the train car. Honey and Di had exited just slightly ahead of her and she could see them hugging and kissing Brian and Mart respectively as she made her way down the steps from the train. Her eyes misted over before she closed them to pull herself together. She knew that regardless of how jealous she actually was of Honey and Di and their relationships with her brothers, they would never make her feel like a fifth wheel on purpose.

"Hey there, Trix. How are things back at Crabapple Farm? Hard to believe that Moms and Dad let you come down the day before your birthday," Brian said, wrapping his arms around his sister to give her a welcoming hug. She relished the warmth she always found in Brian's arms. He was her rock, the one who always seemed to know what she needed.

"Well, I guess since I'll legally be an adult tomorrow, they decided that I could get a pass a day early," Trixie responded wryly. "It's so good to see you, Brian."

He took a step back, keeping his arms loosely around her, his eyes searching hers. She could tell that he knew something wasn't quite right, but she refused to let him get any further in his deliberations. The blonde pasted a smile on her face.

"So why are we hanging around a train station? What are we doing first?" she said in an effort to throw her brother off track. Being the amateur detective she was, Trixie was well versed in how to divert one's attention away from the subject at hand. She slipped out of his hold and started toward the exit.

"Well, we thought that you ladies would appreciate having victuals and libations with our cohorts shortly after relinquishing your belongings to the appropriate location," Mart stated smugly, trailing behind his sister with one arm around Di.

"Wait, what?" Di questioned, tilting her head and staring up at her boyfriend.

"You know, Mart, that you misused a word in there. We're not old enough to partake of libations yet. Not even Brian can have alcohol," Trixie responded with a smirk. The group exited the train station and headed toward Brian's car.

Mart stopped short. "What? How did you know that? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Mart retorted amazed.

"As it happens, I just had to… You know what? I'm not going to tell you. I'll just let you stew about it." She smiled prettily at her almost twin. Brian popped his trunk and helped the girls load their bags. Trixie slipped into the driver's side back seat, allowing the couples to sit next to one another. Her melancholia returned, threatening to overwhelm her. She took several deep breaths before tuning back into the conversation.

"We're meeting Jim and Dan at the restaurant at 8 so we don't have long to stop by your parent's place, Honey," Brian said, turning into the parking garage.

The girls quickly ran their things up to the Wheelers' spacious apartment. Trixie took a moment to comb her hair and looked down at her attire, dark jeans and a deep blue shirt. She shrugged, thinking that it would have to do. As much as she would love to impress Jim by being all alluring and glitzy, she knew that her best chance at that would be the following night. Honey called her out of her thoughts and she trailed behind the two couples back down to the car. The way to the restaurant was filled with laughs and good-natured teasing, but Trixie was unaware of it all, failing to participate, causing her oldest brother to worry even more. Her thoughts were caught up in the tall redhead that she would be seeing soon. The blonde hoped that she would be able to hold everything together throughout this weekend and not do anything to jeopardize the group dynamics.

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Jim fidgeted in his seat, waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. He had been the one to choose the restaurant and set up the reservations. The redhead had been sure to alert the staff of the fact that it was Trixie's birthday celebration. While the restaurant did not sing to their guests, they did provide a birthday treat in the form of a warm brownie covered in vanilla ice cream with chocolate and caramel syrup over whipped cream with of course a cherry on top. Knowing that he had arrived too early, he mentally reviewed his plans for the following day.

His thoughts were interrupted when Dan took a seat next to him, throwing his black leather jacket over the back of the chair.

"How is everything?" Dan asked his friend after the waitress had taken his drink order.

"Good. I think we have everything ready for tomorrow night. I know the girls are really looking forward to it."

"You know, it's hard to believe that the girls managed to pull together a fundraiser to this extent while living in Sleepyside," Dan commented.

"Well, we did help," Jim responded wryly.

"I wasn't saying that we didn't, but to see how far our club has come in terms of its fundraising capabilities, I mean, this beats the winter carnival hands down," Dan replied. Jim had no answer for that, other than a simple shrug. A companionable silence stretched over them.

"Can you believe that next year all of us will be here? How lucky were we that the girls all got accepted to St. Joe's too?" Dan said softly.

"It is hard to believe. I don't think I ever imagined that all of us would want to go to the same school, much less get in. Still, it will be great to have the BWGs together again," Jim replied.

Laughter filled the air as Mart entered the restaurant clowning around, causing Honey and Di to giggle. Jim stood and turned to catch his first glimpse since Christmas of the girl who had stolen his heart. She trailed behind the two couples who had arrived holding hands. His eyes took in every bit of her starting at her head. Her rioting curls framed her pale face and rained down over her shoulders. He had never seen her hair that long before and it made his hands itch to run through the tresses. Trixie's shoulders were slumped ever so slightly, making him wonder what she was thinking about that had her so down. As usual, she was wearing jeans, but then he appreciated the look of her legs as well as other parts of her in those most, so he wouldn't be complaining about her clothing. Overall, though, she didn't look her normal vibrant self. Usually, Trixie's exuberance would be shining through her eyes for all to see, especially with her birthday tomorrow, but now her eyes seemed sad, even when she was hugging Dan, talking and smiling.

Gently pulling her out of Dan's arms, he wrapped his around her waist, quietly drinking in the feel of her body next to his.

"I've missed you, Shamus," he whispered, his voice raspy in her ear. He felt her shakily take a breath.

"I've missed you, too, Jim," she whispered back. He thought he heard a thread of tears in that whisper, but when he pulled back to look at her, her bright blue eyes were clear and intense. "Emails just aren't as good as seeing the real thing." Her tentative smile made his heart take flight.

Throats being cleared brought the two of them out of the little world that they had created. Trixie sat down between Jim and Honey. The waitress returned to take the orders of the group. Jim thought the girl might be flirting with both Dan and himself, but he could have cared less. Now that Trixie was here and his plans were set to be put in motion, he had a hard time restraining himself from touching her. His hand reached to touch her arm several times and their legs brushed against one another. It was almost as if a magnet were drawing the two together somehow.

The group chatted and ate, enjoying one another's company as they hadn't all been together since Christmas. Like that holiday, shortly after finishing their food, the group pulled out presents. Trixie, upon seeing them, shook her head.

"Why are there wrapped boxes in your hands? It's no one's birthday today in this group," the blonde stated. At that moment, the birthday treat was delivered by the waitress and placed in front of Trixie. Seeing the dish, she quickly changed her tune. "Oh, wait, it's my birthday!" She grabbed the cherry and pulled off the cherry stem with her lips.

Jim exhaled sharply and deliberately averted his eyes. It would be for the best if he didn't watch her enjoy the treat as he knew how she would savor every bite. He tried thinking of different things to get that picture out of his mind. It wasn't until he thought of his stepfather that he calmed down enough to look at her protecting her dish from her almost twin. Mart's spoon was inching its way across the table in an effort to scoop up some of the goodness in Trixie's bowl. Trixie had an arm placed around the dish, trying to protect it. Laughing, she placed her head on Jim's shoulder and gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Jim, my valiant knight, won't you please protect my special treat? Please?"

When she put it that way with those eyes, how could he ever resist her? He gave Mart an evil glare before grabbing his spoon out of his hand.

"Hey, that's my spoon!" Mart cried.

"Well, it's not anymore. Not when it's threatening the birthday girl's treat. Now let her eat in peace," Jim retorted. He crossed his arms and gave Mart another look when he saw the younger blond about to say something more. Really, though, he couldn't be too upset with Mart. After all, he had gotten Trixie to laugh.

Not long after she finished her treat, or rather Mart finished it for her, Trixie opened her presents. She giggled at the deerstalker hat and magnifying glass that Mart and Dan had gone in together to give her. Both Brian and Di's presents had included a gift card to the St. Joseph's bookstore, which would help Trixie in buying her textbooks next semester. Trixie's eyes had welled up with tears when she saw the beautiful earrings that Honey had bought to match the locket that Mr. Carver had bestowed on her in Williamsburg.

Surreptitiously the guest of honor wiped at her eyes, with only Jim catching her movements. At last, she had come to his present. He had thought about waiting to give her all of the presents tomorrow, but knew that he would look foolish without one during the Bob-White celebration. After long debate with himself, he had decided on giving this particular gift tonight as it couldn't be construed as too sentimental.

Trixie picked at the paper, driving Jim out of his mind. Once the paper was off, she opened the box and looked puzzled. The blonde tugged the slip of paper from the box to read the words written on it. As she read, her eyes grew wider and wider until she dropped the paper and the box on the table and launched herself into his arms. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders as she pulled back to thank him and once again they were caught up in their own little world. Something in her eyes made him long to close the distance between them to capture her lips.

Mart's insistent clearing of his throat broke through their bubble. Five stunned, yet amused faces peered at the couple. Jim looked over at the tall blond as Mart asked Trixie what it was Jim gave her.

"Trail rides for two in Central Park every week during this coming school year," she replied, pulling out of Jim's arms, which suddenly felt bereft.

"I know how much you love riding and how much you would miss it. I miss it. Anyway, I found this stables that does guided trail rides through the park." He shrugged. "I thought you would like it."

"Like it? Like it? Gleeps, I love it, Jim. Thank you so much," she answered. The look in her eyes made him feel on top of the world. Happiness just radiated from her. He only hoped that tomorrow night's plans were as well received.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: One more chapter after this one, I think. Thanks to all who read and those who are reviewing! It means a lot. I'm glad that people are enjoying my venture into the world of Trixie.

May 1, 2010

People in various attire bustled around the large ballroom. Honey Wheeler watched her best friend arrange the last blue and red flag in the centerpiece on the last of the round tables to be decorated for the dinner portion of the evening. She would have never believed that the fearless tomboy that she had met those years ago would ever be one to worry over something as trivial as centerpieces. The tall, thin young woman peered around the room, looking for any wayward flags, flowers or candles. In the course of their decoration, they had placed a pillar candle in the center of each round table, half of them blue and half red. Each candle was surrounded by a small wreath of red roses and dark blue carnations with small Haiti flags intermingled between the flowers. Seeing nothing out of place, she turned to look at the other two areas of the ballroom.

Honey had been ecstatic when the Bob-Whites had voted to allow her dad's company to donate the funds to pay for the ballroom as well as the entertainment company so that all the money that was raised would go directly to Mr. Rainsford's foundation that he had set up for relief efforts in Haiti the instant he had returned to the United States. After a rather intensive search on the part of the guys, the company that they had found to provide the gaming tables, staff and even the DJ had also been willing to help the Bob-Whites decorate.

As a result, the ballroom had been split into three areas. The first area when one came in from the lobby was the gaming tables. After all, this was where the most money would be raised for the relief efforts. Roulette, blackjack, craps and baccarat tables were scattered strategically. It allowed room for people to play and watch without interfering with the flow of traffic throughout the different areas in the ballroom.

A buffet line had been set up as a natural barrier between the gaming tables and the round dinner tables. All guests were invited to serve themselves at any time during the course of the night. It was in this section that Honey and Trixie had concentrated their decorating abilities the morning of the event. Just beyond the dinner tables was the large wooden dance floor. A DJ's booth had been set up along the far wall with speakers set to be loud enough for dancing, but not to overpower what would hopefully be the crowd at the gaming tables.

Honey wrapped an arm around Trixie's shoulder to pull her away from the centerpiece that she was nervously adjusting.

"It looks fine, Trixie. Stop messing with it," Honey reassured her friend.

"I just want everything to go so perfectly, you know?" Trixie said, biting her lower lip, her hands in constant motion, trying to figure out where to alight next.

"Well, enough of this. It looks perfectly perfect in here, so now it's time for your birthday surprise," Honey said, smiling broadly.

"Birthday surprise? What birthday surprise? Honey, we celebrated my birthday last night. Don't you remember? You gave me these fabulous earrings to match my locket." Trixie pointed to the earrings that were hanging from her ears before clutching the locket with the picture of Jim that she had received back in Williamsburg with her right hand.

"Ah, but that was just the start, Miss Belden. After all, it's not every day that my best friend turns eighteen and has an important function to attend that night even." She slipped her arm through Trixie's and started to guide her toward the exit. "Now we have appointments to keep. I'm so glad that you decided to wear a button up shirt this morning, Trixie. It's going to make everything so much easier."

Trixie started to drag her heels, unsure as to what exactly it was that her partner had planned. "What kind of appointments?"

"Well, as you know, since you helped plan it and all, tonight's affair is black tie. Both of us know that my brother will be in attendance with his tux on. We know how that particular sight affects you. Don't you remember what happened when you saw him in the tux for the first time?" She smirked at the sight of the blush that was spreading across her best friend's face. "I just thought you might like some pampering today, so that when Jim sees you tonight, his eyes will pop out of his head," Honey said smugly. "After all, we've already gotten you the dress. Now we just need to accentuate the rest of the package."

"Honey, what kind of appointments?" Trixie asked again, very hesitantly.

"Just relax. Let me take care of it. My darling brother won't know what hit him when you walk through the doors tonight. In fact, he might even forget his own name." With that, the slightly older and taller girl pulled the birthday girl out the door and off toward adventure.

* * *

A few hours later, the two young women, along with their other best friend Diana, were finishing up their lunch in the Wheeler apartment when the doorbell rang. As Honey crossed the room to open the door, Trixie reflected on her morning. She and Honey had spent time making sure that everything was arranged perfectly within the location for their event that night before Honey had scurried Trixie off to a day spa. Diana had joined them there. Unused to being pampered, Trixie was glad that Honey had scheduled a massage after the facial, manicure and pedicure. She had tensed through the rituals, thinking about the night's events and wondering if she really could look good enough to make Jim's eyes pop out of his head. She wasn't normally the glamorous type, but she wondered if Honey would be able to work some magic for her birthday.

Her thoughts were broken by a slight squeal from her honey-colored haired best friend. Glancing up, she saw Honey rushing to her with a white florist box in her hand.

"This just came for you, Trixie," Honey said in a rush, her voice going higher as she spoke. Her excitement for her friend was palpable.

"What is it? What is it? Who's it from?" Diana asked, her violet eyes sparkling. "Well, don't just sit there silly. Open it!"

Trixie tentatively took the box in her hands. Placing it in her lap, she ran her finger around the top edges before dipping it to open the lid. Inside was a white orchid corsage on a red heart. Her hand shook as she reached in to pull out the card.

_Dear Schoolgirl Shamus,_

_Well, I know for a fact that this isn't your first orchid, but could it be the first since you turned eighteen? I certainly hope so. Looking forward to the event tonight. I'm so glad that you agreed to let me escort you, even though we have to meet at the hotel. See you there._

_Love, _

_Jim_

She brought the card to her lips, her eyes misting. She couldn't believe that he remembered, even to the point where he penned almost the same exact words as what he had written a little over four years ago. Honey tugged on her arm.

"Tell us. Who is it from?" Honey had a gleam in her eye, which let Trixie know that she suspected it was her brother, but she wanted to have her suspicions confirmed.

"Jim," Trixie answered, blushing dark red. "Do you remember the Valentine's Day party at Di's house back when we were planning the antique show?" Both girls nodded vigorously. "Well, that day I received my first flower, an orchid corsage on a red heart. I don't know if you remember it or not. Anyway, Jim had sent it to me then and it appears that I've received another one almost identical to it, including the card. Oh, I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"You're making perfect sense. So Jim wrote something similar to what he wrote back then? Really? How do you remember that?" Diana mused.

Trixie debated over whether she should tell her friends about the box of mementos she had hidden on the highest shelf in her closet. Whenever she felt lonely or like a third wheel amongst her friends, especially over the course of this last year, she had pulled the box down to remember the feelings that always welled within her whenever she was around Jim. The box had everything that Jim had ever given her in it, including the ID bracelet he gave her on the flight home from Iowa. But it was the result of reading all the cards and letters that Jim had ever sent her repeatedly that she could quote verbatim what he had written on the first orchid card all those years ago.

Honey nudged Di and said, "Look at that. How often do you see her with her head in the clouds?"

"Quite a lot if a certain redhead is involved," Di said, chuckling. "Notice how she's not paying us any attention. When is our next appointment?"

"Well, they should be here at any time," Honey responded. The doorbell pealed once more with Honey hurrying to let the group of stylists into the apartment. It was time to turn Trixie into a swan.

* * *

Jim tugged at the bowtie that seemed to be too tight on his neck. He knew it wasn't and that it was just his nerves but he wanted everything to go perfect tonight. This night couldn't have come fast enough for him, which is why he had arrived at the venue a good thirty minutes before the Bob-Whites were scheduled to arrive. He wandered around the lobby for a few minutes before entering the ballroom to see what changes the entertainment company had wrought.

The room no longer resembled the stately and elegant ballroom that he had seen back in March. It now had the look of one of the casino floors that he had seen when his father had taken him to Turning Stone Casino for his eighteenth birthday. His father told him that it was to be an educational trip in that by playing the tables in the casino, he could and would learn valuable lessons that would help with his investments as well as business. Smiling at the memory of the trip, he continued to wander through the gaming tables to look at the other areas that had been set up. When his glance settled on the dance floor, his arms ached to hold a certain blonde in his arms. Knowing that his plans were already set with the DJ, Jim stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to head out to the lobby.

His eyes strayed around the room until they reached the top of the staircase. He pulled up short and simply stared, stunned at the vision in front of him. In a deep blue dress that hugged every curve on her body and had a slit in the side that rose to mid-thigh was the most beautiful sight Jim had ever laid eyes on.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I don't own any of the characters or the song at the end. Enjoy!

Trixie grasped the hand in front of her and more gracefully than she ever thought possible exited the back of the Wheeler's limo.

"Thanks, Tom," she murmured. Moving to the side to allow the other two young women to get out of the car, she ran a hand down the front of her dress, reveling in the feel of the dark blue velvet beneath her fingers. She knew she was fortunate to have found this dress on the clearance rack, but still it showed a little more skin than she was used to displaying. While she looked forward to Jim's reaction to the gown, she dreaded her brothers' as she was sure that Mart would only make fun of her as always.

So caught up in her thoughts about her expectations for the night, Trixie almost missed Tom's comments to all three females.

"Wow, you ladies look fabulous. Good thing there's four male Bob-Whites to protect you three. The men won't know what hit them tonight," Tom stated before giving a jaunty wave and slipping back into the driver seat. Honey linked her arms through Trixie and Di's. With a quick toss of her honey-colored hair that she had styled to fall straight between her shoulders, she looked at both of her best friends and grinned.

"Shall we?" Honey suggested. Both of them nodded. The trio entered the lobby of the hotel, unaware of the stir they were creating. A trio of tuxedoed Bob-Whites made their way over to the girls. Brian quickly laid claim to the beauty in the long champagne colored dress by tucking her hand in his arm and placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"You look stunning tonight, Honey," he whispered in her ear. A slight rosy color made an appearance on her cheekbones before she responded with a gentle touch of her lips to his.

After a moment of stunned silence, Mart brushed by his sister without teasing or even a greeting. Lifting Di's hand to his lips, he murmured, "You look like the goddess you were named for, my lovely Diana. That hue of violet… well, it's breathtaking."

Trixie giggled when she realized that Mart's rather large vocabulary had failed him. Dan was chuckling at the reaction of the two other male Bob-Whites at the sight of their ladies when he came to stand on Trixie's right. He turned to get a good look at her, letting out a low whistle.

"Wow, you clean up well." Dan let out a 'Hmph'.

"What?" she questioned, running a hand across her cheek toward her hair.

"You're going to be breaking hearts in that dress tonight, Trix!" Dan exclaimed.

Trixie was puzzled and it showed on her face. "What do you mean? I could never break anyone's heart, Dan. You know that. That's Di and Honey's territory, not mine."

Dan gave her a dark look, his eyes ablaze. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror today, Miss Belden?"

"Yes," she responded slowly, dragging the word out to be more than one syllable, eyebrows scrunched down in thought.

"Then you should be well aware that any man would consider himself lucky to have you on his arm tonight," her friend exclaimed.

"Still, how is it that I'm supposed to be breaking their hearts?" she asked with raised eyebrows. She tilted her head up to look at the face of the taller man.

"I just meant that anyone who dances with you tonight will be trying to claim a piece of your heart without knowing that it's already been claimed."

"Claimed? Since when has my heart been claimed?" Trixie retorted, with a short chuckle and roll of her eyes.

"I would say since you laid eyes on a certain redhead almost five years ago," Dan responded dryly with a smirk. Trixie didn't say anything, but flushed scarlet. Deciding to give his friend a small break, he offered her his arm. "May I escort you into our event, Madam Co-President?"

"Actually," Trixie craned her head to look around the lobby. "I have an escort, or at least I'm supposed to have one. I haven't seen him since last night, though." She stroked the petals of the orchid on her wrist, her cheeks still warm.

"If your escort is your co-president, then I think he might be found in the ballroom. Come on, let's leave the lovebirds to themselves and go find your escort. If he's not in there, then I think you should revoke his escorting privileges and allow me the honor," Dan said teasingly. With one hand on her elbow, he steered her toward the ballroom.

Trixie scratched at her chin, smiling, acting as if she was actually thinking about it before scrunching up her nose and shaking her head. "Sorry, can't do it. My parents taught me better than that. I can't just cut out on one escort and take up with another." She laughed at his disgruntled expression as they crossed the threshold to the huge event area. "Besides, the Bob-Whites are counting on you to win quite a bit of money for the foundation."

"Ah, you know that it has nothing to do with manners or my playing the tables and everything to do with exactly who your escort for the evening is," Dan said pointedly.

Trixie just shrugged in response, turning to make sure that the decorations looked as perfect as they did earlier. Instead of her eyes taking in the décor, she found her gaze centered on the broad-shouldered redhead, standing in the middle of the floor, mouth agape. His eyes traveled from her head down and back up again before locking with hers. Trixie's mouth went dry at sight of Jim in the sophisticated tailored black jacket with the classic black bowtie. As always, he made everything else in the room disappear from her sight, just by simply existing. Once again, they were lost to the little world that they created. While she was rooted to the spot, Jim strode across the room, eyes still locked on hers. Climbing the steps two at a time, he paused on the second step from the top, so she was the same height as he was.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she responded just as softly. Neither one noticed Dan slip out the doors, gently closing them behind him.

"You look… well, there aren't enough words to describe how incredibly beautiful you look." His voice swept over her like gentle waves crashing into the shore. His hand reached up to stroke her cheek. She leaned her face into his hand. _Finally_, she thought. It seemed like someone might make a move to end this stalemate they had been in ever since Jim had left to go to college. Trixie had thought about making the move herself, but knew she lacked the courage to step out on that limb. Just the thought of the tension and awkwardness that might ensue was enough to have her welding her mouth closed.

"Happy birthday, Trixie. You don't know how long I've waited for this day," Jim stated, running his thumb across her lips, an emotion burning deep in his eyes that Trixie couldn't quite figure out. His words had her mind racing. _Why would he be waiting for my birthday?_, she thought. "Here let me show you around." She didn't have the heart to tell him that she and Honey had already been there that morning to add some final touches to the decorations.

Taking her hand, much like Brian had Honey's, he tucked it into his arm as he escorted her down the stairs. "So does the venue meet your approval, Madam President?"

"Oh, Jim, it's perfectly perfect," Trixie gushed. "There's more than enough room for the areas we decided on. The place looks spectacular, just like I imagine a casino. The dance floor area looks great as well. I'm so happy we chose to have dancing as well. I don't think I would do well at the gaming tables."

"Just wait until you see the sunset through the windows over there. The view of the Hudson from this room is fantastic," Jim said. "It's what really sold me on this place."

Trixie turned to him, surprised. "You're a closet romantic, aren't you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he scoffed, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

"Well, first of all, there's you paying attention to the sunset. But not only that, you send me an orchid just like the very first flower you ever gave me, even to the point of using almost the exact same words on the card. Why is it that we've never seen signs of this before?" Trixie wondered aloud.

"Never seen signs of what before?" Brian asked his sister as the rest of the Bob-Whites joined the couple on the dance floor. Trixie pondered whether or not she should admit the truth. Knowing Jim like she did, she knew that he might be embarrassed by it, especially since the other guys were part of the conversation. Scrambling to figure out what she could say to cover, Trixie heard Jim start to speak. She quickly cut him off, laying a hand on his arm.

"Seen signs of me being clumsy before. I almost fell on the way down the stairs. It must be the heels. I told the girls that I didn't think I should try them, but they insisted," Trixie answered. "But forget my clumsiness. What do we need to do?"

"Well, the person who will be taking the tickets that were sold is already in place at the door as is the people who will serve as cashiers, the ones taking people's money and exchanging them for chips. The servers have already started stocking the buffet lines and the people working the gaming tables are finishing their setup. I think everything is under control," Di said, pointing out each location and the workers.

"What about the music?" Trixie asked.

"The DJ is already set up and raring to go, Trix. Don't worry," Jim reassured her.

"Are we forgetting anything?" the birthday girl asked her fellow club members.

"Is your speech ready?" Mart asked, waggling his eyebrows at his sister.

"What speech? No one said I had to give a speech. Why should I have to give a speech?" Trixie asked frantically.

"Calm down. Mart's just trying to rile you up," Brian said, placing both hands on Trixie's shoulders to try to calm her down. "Take deep breaths, Trix."

"Oh, if I wasn't all made up and worried about messing up how I look, you would get it, dearest _twin_." Trixie's eyes were scorching and Mart unconsciously took a step behind Di.

"Jim's giving the opening speech, Trixie. After all, it's good practice for him since before too long, he'll have to host these types of fundraisers for his school," Honey told her. Trixie looked at Jim, who didn't appear to be nervous at all. She wasn't even speaking and yet, butterflies were multiplying in her belly. The blonde guessed it was the fact that this fundraiser was the most extravagant one they had put on yet that was causing her nerves.

The group chatted comfortably together, each making short forays into different parts of the room as they thought of things to check on until it was time for Jim to open the fundraiser.

Jim borrowed a microphone from the DJ. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I know that not everyone has made their way here yet, but we're going to go ahead and get started." He smiled at the well-dressed crowd. "My name is Jim Frayne and I'm a member of the Bob-Whites, the organization who is hosting this event. As everyone knows who's heard any news this year, there was a terrible tragedy that occurred in January to our neighbors in Haiti. A devastating earthquake hit, affecting millions of people. Estimates are that one million people are now homeless as a result of this tragedy. That's why we're here tonight. With your help, the Rainsford Foundation will be able to provide help in the reconstruction process. Already, we've raised $45,000 dollars just through the ticket sales. We, the Bob-Whites, would like to thank each and every one of you for coming out and supporting this cause.

"Now, the cashier windows are open. Remember the money you win goes to the Foundation, but the three people with the most chips at the end of the night will be recognized. The buffet line will be open all night as will the gaming tables and the dance floor. Enjoy!"

While receiving a round of applause, Jim handed the microphone back to the DJ. Nodding to the man, Jim crossed to Trixie.

"Might I have this dance?" Jim asked, picking her hand up in his. She nodded and he led her to the dance floor.

The DJ's voice came out over the speakers. "This first song has been requested by Jim Frayne. He would like to dedicate it to Trixie, who is celebrating her eighteenth birthday today."

The cool piano tones drifted out over the dance floor as Jim gathered Trixie in his arms. She looked at him with wide eyes, not recognizing the song. Her arms slid up around his neck while his gently wrapped around her waist. Slowly, the couple started moving to the music. Di pulled Mart onto the dance floor, wanting to help shelter her friends from the stares she knew they were receiving, knowing that Trixie would be so embarrassed if she realized just how much she and Jim were the center of attention. Honey decided to do the same with her boyfriend.

The words to REO Speedwagon's song _Can't Fight This Feeling_ started to flow over the dance floor, startling Trixie.

"_I can't fight this feeling any longer and yet, I'm still afraid to let it flow._

_What started out as friendship has grown stronger, I only wish I had the strength to let it show."_

She pulled her head back from where it had been resting on Jim's shoulder to look into his eyes, searching silently for answers to the multitude of questions that resonated through her head. Still unsure, she laid her head back down on Jim's shoulder, careful to not rub any makeup off on his jacket.

"Just so you know, I mean every word of this song, Trixie," Jim murmured in her ear as he dropped a kiss on her hair. She pulled back again and stared into his green eyes, now sure of the nervousness that she saw there.

"What are you trying to say, Jim? What is this feeling that you've been fighting?" Trixie asked, fairly certain she knew the answer, but wanted him to verbalize it anyway.

"I love you, Trixie Belden." Jim's voice was strong and clear. Trixie still fought an inner battle that this must be a dream or that he didn't mean it the way she thought.

"Of course you do. All of us Bob-Whites love each other," Trixie insisted. Her heart was in her throat at the thought that Jim was actually saying what it was that she had longed to hear ever since the return flight from Iowa those years ago. They stopped dancing. Jim framed her face with his hands, holding her so gently, while ensuring that she was looking him straight in the eyes.

"No, Trix. It's not the same. I'm in love with you."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: One more chapter after this. Thanks to Mylee for helping me figure out the appropriate timeline. Thanks to all who are reading my little foray into the TB world.

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. But I so wish I could own a Jim....**

Trixie was standing so still, no signs of life whatsoever. Jim's hands dropped to his sides. _Was it really that much of a shock? _Drawing in a deep breath, he took in her expression. Her eyes were blank and unseeing with her mouth slightly open.

"Trixie?" he rasped, struggling to get even her name out through the dread that had surged in him at the sight. He hoped that this revelation wouldn't harm their relationship, but he had to recognize the possibility. Her voice was so low he barely heard her over the music playing.

"Did you just say… that you… love me?" Trixie asked. Since he had become a connoisseur of all things Trixie over the years, he knew that the look she gave him was the one she reserved for a mystery or something she couldn't quite figure out, but was still excited about it nonetheless. This was not the look she had when she was completing her math homework. The dread was abating, albeit very slowly.

He nodded his head in response, taking his upper lip between his teeth, while he waited for her reaction. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She sniffed.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that," Trixie mumbled, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his. It was almost as if she couldn't get close enough to him, but he wasn't about to start complaining. The curvaceous body that resided in his arms made him feel like he was home. But then she had always made him feel that way, ever since he first met her at Ten Acres. Just being in her presence caused a swell of contentment to rush through his body. As a teenage runaway, he had almost forgotten that feeling when she had stumbled her way into his life.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to say it," Jim whispered in her ear. She glanced up at him, her big blue eyes shining through her lashes.

"So why didn't you?" she asked. He looked around the room, taking note of the multitude of people surrounding them. Instinctively, he searched out the other Bob-Whites. Brian and Honey were snuggled up close to one another, dancing slowly. Mart was steadily adding food to a plate in the buffet line while Dan was grinning cockily at one of the gaming tables. Di was chatting with her mother and his. Spotting a door leading out to the balcony, he grabbed Trixie's hand and tugged her toward it.

"Jim? Where are we going? Are you going to answer my question? Why are we out here?" Trixie demanded. Jim came to a stop beside the railing and looked out over the Hudson. Taking in the beauty that surrounded him, he turned his back to the view and leaned against it, peering at Trixie.

"Of course I'm going to answer you. When do I ever not? As for why we are here, well, let's just say that I didn't need additional witnesses to your reaction to my response." When she started to protest, he placed a finger against her lips. "Trixie, I know you. I know how upset you're going to get when you hear my answer, even though at the time I… Wait, in order for me to really explain, I need to take us back in time, okay?" He waited for her nod before continuing.

"Do you remember the day we met?" he asked her.

"Of course, how could I forget being confronted with a shotgun?" Trixie asked wryly.

"That was the day that I started falling in love with you. There you were, so brave and fearless and so unlike any other girls I had ever met before. All of them were prissy or shy and quiet, but not you. You were amazing and ready to take on anything. You never gave up on me or the fortune you were sure that we'd find. But while I started falling for you then, it wasn't until later that I was sure that I was in love with you."

"When? When did you know?" Trixie asked imperatively, stepping into the circle of his arms. She stood between his legs with his arms loosely wrapped around her.

"In Iowa, that night we sat on the roof of that barn. You were fearless even then, but I was terrified that I would never get to claim you as mine. I was trying to imagine life without you and it was just empty." His voice broke a little on that statement. He took a long deep breath. "So I knew that I had to do something and I did on the plane ride back, remember? I called you my special girl."

"That's not all you did," Trixie murmured, fingering the bracelet that encircled her wrist opposite of her corsage. Jim caught sight of that silver bracelet, causing his heart to leap for joy. She still had it after all this time. Taking one hand from Trixie's waist, he ran his finger over the bracelet, tracing the letters of his name.

"I had to mark you as mine somehow. I just enjoyed being with you for the next few months and through the summer. But it wasn't until school started again that I made a decision." He broke off, gently dislodged Trixie from him and turned back, looking over the streets and the park toward the Hudson. He leaned down and rested his forearms against the edge of the railing. Weaving his fingers together, he tapped them against his lips.

"That next school year was the first one that I had ever wished that I was actually in the class that I was supposed to be in grade wise. If only I had been a sophomore instead of a senior, then I would have had more than enough time with you to be able to date you and love you. Even when I left for college, you wouldn't have been that far behind then. But unfortunately for me, you can't go back in school; you can only go forward. Instead of asking you to go on a date with me, I forced myself to be a good friend only."

Trixie interrupted Jim. "But why? We could have had scads of time together." She picked up one of his hands from the railing beside her and began tracing patterns of the back of it.

"Trixie, I was getting ready to be a senior. You were starting high school then. Do you honestly think that we could have maintained a long-distance relationship for three years? I had several friends who tried to make it just one year and their relationships didn't survive. I couldn't allow that to happen to us. I don't know who I would be without you."

He glanced down at his watch before setting his sights on some movements taking place on the driveway below. Smiling broadly, he tucked Trixie's hand in his arm and started to escort her back into the building.

"Jim Frayne, where are you taking me? We haven't finished talking yet. What are you doing?"

He reached over with one hand and gently tugged the curl that he had always considered 'his'. "We have somewhere to be, Miss Belden."

"What? We have to be at the fundraiser. That's where we have to be," Trixie declared.

"Actually, our esteemed members have been persuaded to allow us this time. Now, come on, Trixie, I have a surprise for you," Jim responded.

"A surprise? What kind of surprise? I don't know if I can handle any more surprises today," she said, looking at him puzzled.

"Well, okay then, I guess that I can just go get Honey or Di to go with me," Jim stated, sighing.

Trixie's eyes went wide as she started to hurry across the room. "No, no, that's fine, Jim. I'm more than willing to see what you have up your sleeve." Her curls, which were streaming down over her neck in a waterfall, bounced with the excitement he was sure she felt.

He led her through the ballroom and out onto the cobblestones that lined the driveway of the hotel. In front of the revolving doors stood two horses with an open carriage. The driver hopped down from his seat, opening the door and letting down the small steps to allow Trixie and Jim into the carriage. Trixie scooted in and looked over at Jim. He claimed her hand with his and tugging it up toward his hip, tucked it close. Once the two of them were seated, the driver returned to his seat. With a gentle tug on the reins, the carriage began to glide through the streets of New York toward Central Park.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here's the end of this part of the story. I will be writing more eventually in this universe. My mystery that I'm formulating is related to this story. Thanks to everyone for their support. *grin*

Trixie's mind was reeling from the information it was trying to absorb. _Jim had been in love with her for almost five years. How was that possible? How can you hide feelings like that for so long?_ Then she thought back over the course of their friendship and started putting together the clues. They were present at almost every turn, from the first orchid he sent her to the bracelet to the way he reacted when the boys has found her after her run-in with Blinky, Pedro and Big Tony. That thought led her to thinking about the first hansom cab ride she had taken and how she ended up with skinned knees. Jim had taken care of her with Brian even then. Then a prevailing question bombarded her mind.

"Trixie, penny for your thoughts?" Jim asked quietly.

She turned to look him in the eye. "Well, I'm trying to reconcile the notion that you love me with the way that you've acted over the years. But one question keeps coming to the forefront- Why now? Why are you telling me all this now? How is our situation now any different than what it was four years ago? I mean, I'm still going to be a freshman and you'll be a senior."

He reached out with his far hand and stroked her cheek. "There were two reasons why I chose today as the start of my campaign to win your heart. One, it's your eighteenth birthday, which means you are now legally an adult and able to make decisions for yourself. Two, I knew that you would be leaving for college soon. I had hoped that you would come to a school near mine, but you did one better by actually coming to my school."

"But Jim, you're only there for one more year, just like high school. How is this any different?" Trixie couldn't wrap her head around the thoughts tumbling about in her brain.

Jim wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tugged her closer to him. He kissed her hair quickly before saying, "Do you honestly think I would move away from where it is you are? You had to stay in Sleepyside before, because that's where your parents lived and you had to finish high school. I just couldn't find a college close enough by. Now though, I'm staying here in New York until at least you finish your degree." He picked up her closest hand with his far one. "Trixie, don't you understand? If I had found out that you were going to attend college in say Arizona, I would have followed you there. These last three years were desolate without you. The only times I felt whole and peaceful were when I was with you." He pulled her hand to his lips, gently kissing it before returning it to his thigh.

She gazed into his green eyes, taking in the sparkle that told her that he was completely serious and content. That particular sparkle had only appeared in his eyes a handful of times before. Allowing herself to get lost in his eyes for a few minutes, she barely registered the carriage stopping; that is, until Jim stood beside her to alight from the carriage. He refused to let go of her hand to the point that he simply switched hers to his other hand as he stepped down. As much as she was independent, she was very glad that Jim was there to assist her as she didn't particularly care to end up in a heap at his feet from tripping over her dress. When she took her last step down, her heel caught the edge of her dress, causing her to stumble straight into Jim's arms.

"If you wanted my arms around you, you didn't have to go to such extreme measures," Jim murmured in her ear. Her body, much like her face was aflame, albeit for different reasons. While she was embarrassed by her almost fall, her body had erupted with tingles as his arms had wrapped around her, pulling her close to him.

Instead of responding to his teasing, she concentrated on the flames that licked at her body, starting at her thighs all the way up to her chest, all of which were pressed solidly against Jim. Under her hands, she could feel the play of his biceps as he lifted her to make sure her dress was not caught under her heel.

"Thanks," she murmured. Dusk started to fall around them while they were lost in each others' gaze. The air around them seemed to crackle with electricity. Jim lowered his head slowly toward hers. She just knew he was going to kiss her.

Lights illuminated the sky behind him, causing both of them to jump apart. Trixie peered around Jim to see where the lights were coming from. She was stunned to see a carousel lit up with lights like a Christmas tree, its calliope's music becoming audible the closer Jim escorted her toward it.

"What? What is this?" Trixie asked Jim, her head tilted looking at her suitor.

"What part of campaign for your heart did you not get, Shamus?" Jim replied. "I'll use any knowledge I have of you to win you over. I know how much you love horses, but in your present attire, I know that we can't exactly have a true ride. So instead we're going to ride the carousel."

She just looked at him, wide-eyed before following him and allowing him to help her sit side-saddle on a brown mare that looked amazingly like Susie, her mare back in Sleepyside. He then climbed up on a horse beside her before signaling to the operator to start the ride. Trixie held tight to the pole as the horse went up and down as the ride went round and round. Laughter welled within her and burst forth. She noticed that Jim seemed unable to tear his eyes from her. Turning away and smiling, she was left unaware that he caught sight of that smile in the mirrors that lined the inner sanctum of the carousel.

Before long, the ride came to a stop. Jim immediately jumped down and carefully helped Trixie dismount.

"You know I think I much prefer Western to side-saddle. Still…" She looked up at him. "Thank you," she said softly. "I know you've probably wondered if I'll ever really respond to what you've told me tonight. I know I told you already that I've waited for so long for you to tell me that you love me. I've been second guessing myself so much about what I've suspected and what I've thought about you, about us, about guys in general." She shrugged. "I honestly wondered if I would ever find what Honey and Di have with Brian and Mart. I thought that since you hadn't really been home this year that you were avoiding me or worse you were seeing someone and just didn't want to let the Bob-Whites know. That's why your confession…" She waggled her eyebrows. "Shocked me. I've had feelings for you just as long as you've had them for me. It's the reason I've never been on a real date or even been kissed." At this, she ducked her head. "I didn't think I could do anything like that with anyone else but you. I guess in a way, you ruined me for any other guys. They just couldn't measure up."

Jim reached down and pulled her chin up with his forefinger so he could look her in the eye. "As much as I would like to say I'm sorry, I can't and be truthful. I'm happy to know that no one else has touched these lips." He ran his fingers across them. "You can't possibly know how often I've dreamt of kissing you."

"So what's stopping you?" Trixie asked.

Jim looked at her, taking her face in his hands. He gently lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. Gaining confidence, she wove her fingers into his hair and gently pulled his lips back to hers. Their lips clung, parted and returned with greater ardor. The sensations that ran through her at the feel of his lips against hers made her long for more. When she finally needed to breathe once more, she reluctantly pulled her lips from his.

"So what do you say, Trix? Will you be my special girl?" he asked her.

"I always have been, Jim, always. I love you."


End file.
